Author Topic: Cinema Retro on The Devils  (Read 3432 times)

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Offline Iain Fisher

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Re: Cinema Retro on The Devils
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2011, 11:47:12 PM »
Some good points from the article

"Part of the problem The Devils presented [to censors] was that it derived from a well-documented incident, thereby making it harder to dismiss... The Devils had adhered, with suprising acuracy, to the basic facts of the story of Urban Grandier".

When Ken was asked to do the play he knew John Whiting's play but not the Huxley book.

When United Artists saw the script they dropped it, and Warner Bros picked it up (ironic given theit attitude now).  The budget was £2 million.

I disagree with some parts of the article.  They talk of Grandier's speech to save the walls of Louden being intercut with Louis XIII shooting protesatants dressed as birds as an artistic mistake.  I love the contrast.  Similarly they attack the intercutting of Grandier taking communion with the rape of Christ scenes, and they criticise Mark Kermode for calling it subtle- I agree with Kermode.

Although I disagree with various points, they are well made and the article is well worth reading.  The rest of the magazine also has interesting stuff on Clockwork Orange, Last Tango in Paris and Halloween.  Good long articles.  What more could you want.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2011, 11:57:35 PM by Iain Fisher »

Offline Iain Fisher

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Cinema Retro on The Devils
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2011, 06:30:59 PM »
The September issue of Cinema Retro has an article on The Devils

"John Exshaw looks into the making of Ken Russell's controversial The Devils and explores how the film has been cut and censored around the world since its initial release- and why it may never be released in America or the UK on DVD."

Also articles on A Clockwork Orang and Last Tango in Paris.  Ebay seems the best place to buy it- I have ordered it and will let you know what it is like when I get it.